462 eigenmann: fish fauna of Bogota 



I. LIST OF ALL SPECIES RECORDED FROM THE CORDILLERA DE 



BOGOTA 



ASTROBLEPIDAE 



A family of catfishes of one genus, found exclusively in the 

 Cordilleras from southern Panama and Merida south to Lake 

 Titicaca, from the highest elevation down in places to 300 feet. 

 It has not been recorded from the Plain of Bogota but in all 

 directions from it. The species have a large sucker mouth and a 

 peculiar adaptation to take in water at the dorsal end of the 

 gill slit to pass it out below while they hold fast to rocks with 

 their mouths. The ventrals are freely movable backward and 

 forward, enabling them to hunch forw^ard. They are able to 

 climb vertical and even overhanging walls. 



Astroblepus Humboldt. 



A. unifasciatus Eigenmann. North and west of Bogota, up to 

 7,258 feet; also on the Pacific slope in the Rio Dagua. 



A. santanderensis E. North of Bogota up to 5,600 feet. Santander. 



A. frenaius E. Known from a single specimen. North of Bogota, 

 6,534 feet. Santander. 



A. micrescens E. Principally north of Bogota, sparingly west and 

 east of it. 8,471 feet. It is the principal species of Santander. 



A. chotae (Regan). North and west of Bogota. 7,400 feet. South 

 to Ecuador. 



A. longifilis (Steindachner). North and south of Bogota. Abun- 

 dant from Peru to Panama. 



A. homodon (Regan). West of Bogota. 7,258 feet. It is the char- 

 acteristic species between Facatativa and Honda. 



A. grixalvii Humboldt. Sparingly west of Bogota. Widely dis- 

 tributed in southern Colombia and Ecuador. The present identifica- 

 tion may be questioned. 



A. latidens E. Characteristic of the eastern slope east of Bogota 

 between 1,500 and 5,300 feet. 



PYGIDIIDAE 



A familv of South American catfishes w^ith about a hundred 

 species of very divergent habits. 



Pygidium Meyen. 



Found in all mountain streams of South America from the highest 

 elevations to sea level. Short eel shaped. Bunches of erectile spines 

 on its opercles enable it to maintain itself in the swiftest currents or 

 to hunch itself forward between rocks or to burrow in sand, gravel, or 

 mud. 



